Picnic Table Talk: Meet & Greet

It's time for our first Picnic Table Talk over at ABC & 123: A Learning Cooperative! We thought it would be nice to start things off with introductions, because one of the best aspects of blogging is the relationships we build and the support we offer each other. We're all in the Virtual World, so it's not like we can stand around in front of the school building waiting for our kids to be dismissed and chat. This seemed like the next best thing! Many of you know me as half of The Katies, the founders of ABC & 123. I hope this post will help you get to know a little bit more about me and my family. Brad and I are celebrating our ninth wedding anniversary in August, but we'll have been together fifteen years in November. Sometimes high school sweethearts really do end up getting married! We got married after college and right away moved across the country so Brad could get his PhD in Chemistry. We've lived in the San Francisco Bay Area in California and in New Mexico's state capital of Santa Fe. Our journey came full circle when we moved back to Michigan a couple of years ago. It's nice being home again, but since we're in a different part of the state it still feels new and different. New Mexico is where we added our daughter known as ER on my blog, to our family. This was photo was taken the first day we brought her home from the hospital. I still can't believe how much she's changed in the blink of an eye. At this point we were still in the when are her real parents going to come and get her phase, it hadn't completely hit us how much our lives had changed!

The main purpose behind starting Katie's Nesting Spot was to document our lives as things change so quickly when you have a little one. I also wanted to have things recorded for when I attempt to scrapbook my mountains of photos. Somehow, a lot of other things have crept in too, like oh maybe one or two crafts here and there. ER is going to be three this summer and enter a co-op preschool two afternoons a week next fall. I'm dreading the separation, I think it's going to be very tough on both of us. She's always been a very clingy child and literally wants to be attached at the hip as much as possible. I want her to get the chance to be with other kids, learn unspoken social rules, school behaviors, and how to follow directions. These are things that are hard for me to teach her by ourselves at home, but I know it's going to be heart wrenching at the beginning of next year. She is fascinated by all the new materials I keep bringing up from our basement from my teaching supplies and it's been great for me to work with her. I'm excited to do even more next year and if you've been by before, you know we'll continue doing lots of arts and crafts! Fall is still a ways off and we need to be potty trained to actually start preschool. I certainly don't want to rush summer, as this year I hope to enjoy more of Michigan's lakes! We took a short overnight trip to the west side of the state last year, where the beaches are sandy. They're rocky on the east side where I grew up, so the nice sandy beaches are a real treat. We liked it so much last July that we're planning to go back for a little bit longer with ER's Grammy and Papa. We're hoping to take ER to Disneyland next year, so we're not taking a big trip. We'll keep busy with day trips to see family, the zoo, and the nearby inland lake we like that has a splash zone. My mom, above right, is pretty big on eating al fresco, and we did a lot growing up. I like picnics best when we get my favorite foods from a gourmet food store near my parents. It's too expensive for us to eat at most of the time, so it's a real splurge to get their goodies prepackaged up in plastic containers. We've made it a tradition since ER was born to treat ourselves at my mom's birthday picnic. We pick up our food, head over to a near by park, and find ourselves a shady spot to relax. It's my favorite picnic of the year.We like this particular park because it has paved walking trails, well maintained rest room facilities, lots of swings, and a boat shaped play scape. However, the biggest draw for ER has always been the ducks that swim all along the stream that winds its way along the walking trail. The first time we came, before she was one she was fascinated by them as you can probably tell from the way she like to walk right over the edge and get at them. Good thing my Dad is holding her by the dress! We also love BBQ potlucks. We host and go to several each year. I love all the pasta, fruit, and potato salads and ER's favorite summer food is definitely fresh corn on the cob! I'd rather have everyone over with lots of dishes to pass, good friends, and great conversation than go to a fancy restaurant any day! If you lived by me, you can be sure I'd greet you at the door with a glass of ice tea!

Thanks for coming by and visiting! Please leave me a comment so I know you were here and so I can be sure to come by and see you!